Real-time animation for education and training

Advances in computer technology have led to the introduction of computer aided exercises as a modern means of `performing´ traditional laboratory experiments in the field of electrical engineering education. These techniques have become particularly valuable in the field of the operation of power systems where a knowledge of the transient behaviour of such systems has become a significant part of many undergraduate degree courses. The benefits of using an interactive system are to give the student an excellent qualitative `feel´ for the behaviour of the system, and to aid greatly in the selection of alternatives, anticipation of problems, and interpretation of results. The use of animation to display simulation results dynamically enables the power system states to be monitored continuously. As well as giving the student information on what the system was doing a short time ago, animation also tells the direction in which the system is presently going